Certain mailing machines including certain DM SERIES mailing machines available from Pitney Bowes Inc. of Stamford, Conn. include shape based rating capabilities by which dimensions of a mail piece are used to determine the applicable postal rate. Such mailing machines may include a media width sensor that may include a linear array of optical sensors positioned perpendicular to the path of travel of the mail piece through the mailing machine transport subsystem. The linear array allows the mailing machine to discern many different width breakpoints in measuring the width of the mail piece. However, such a linear array is a relatively expensive subsystem including several sensors in the array such as approximately 25 sensor pairs of optical source and detector. Accordingly, not all mailing machines are equipped with such dimensional rating capability.
Moreover, the sensor locations are fixed and there is a necessary gap between the sensor pairs that are not adjustable. Therefore, the mailing machine measurements may have less accuracy that desired due to the fixed sensor location and relatively large pitch from one sensor to the next.
Accordingly, there is a need for a cost effective, efficient and more accurate sensor subsystem for measuring the width of a mail piece in a mailing machine.